Manchester City banned for two years from European competitions over financial fair-play violations

Premier League (PL) side Manchester City have been banned for two years from playing in the Champions League by the Uefa on Friday (February 14).

City have also been fined €30m (£25m) for breaking the financial fair play rules and misleading the investigating body by providing them with false information.

The blues were found guilty under Uefa’s club financial control body (CFCB). Just moments after the announcement, City released a statement confirming they will be applying the suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport “at the earliest opportunity”.

“Manchester City is disappointed but not surprised by today’s announcement by the UEFA Adjudicatory Chamber,” the club said in their statement.

“The… flawed and consistently leaked UEFA process he (the UEFA chief investigator) oversaw has meant that there was little doubt in the result that he would deliver.”

“Simply put, this is a case initiated by UEFA, prosecuted by UEFA and judged by UEFA.”

“With this prejudicial process now over, the club will pursue an impartial judgment as quickly as possible” at CAS.

As per the ban a UEFA statement declared: “The Adjudicatory Chamber has imposed disciplinary measures on Manchester City Football Club directing that it shall be excluded from participation in UEFA club competitions in the next two seasons (ie. the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons).”

“European football’s governing body said that City “failed to cooperate in the investigation”.

“The adjudicatory chamber, having considered all the evidence, has found that Manchester City Football Club committed serious breaches of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations by overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to UEFA between 2012 and 2016,” European football’s governing body said in their statement.

Pep Guardiola’s side is set to take on Spanish giants Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League this season.